Child Protection / Safeguarding

MOOR PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL SAFEGUARDING &CHILD PROTECTION POLICY AND GUIDELINESReviewed & Updated November 2016 By Amanda Parton (Designated lead for CP) Statutory Legislation This policy should be read in conjunction with; 

The Blackpool Borough Council Child Protection policy and procedures. http://www.blackpoolsafeguarding.org.uk/children http://panlancashirescb.proceduresonline.com

     

The Government document ‘What to do if you are worried a child is being abused’ (Link on school website) Safer Working Practices Policy (Link on school website) Keeping children safe in education (September 2016 Link on school website) E-safety Policy (Link on school website) Working Together to Safeguard Children March 2015 (Link on school website) The Prevent Duty July 2015 (Link on school website)

Key Principles The local authority has a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in its area by providing services appropriate to the children’s needs. Services for children in need are likely to combine targeted and universal services and the working together of relevant professionals to ensure the child’s needs can be met and their circumstances improved.

The local authority has a duty to make enquiries if it has reason to suspect that a child in their area is suffering, or likely to suffer significant harm, to enable it to decide whether it should take any action to safeguard or promote the children’s welfare. In the great majority of cases, children are safeguarded from harm by working with parents, family members and other significant adults in the child’s life to make the child safe, and to promote his or her development, within the family

Policy Statement Moor Park Primary is a caring school where each child is valued and respected as an individual. Our children are encouraged to be ‘the best they can be’. Our aim is to prevent wherever possible and protect children from any form of abuse. Each child will be

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supported and educated to enhance their own awareness and skills to protect themselves.

Children who do encounter difficulties will be supported and guided and their needs and wishes kept firmly as the focus. Response will be appropriate and effective to ensure a child’s safety and security.

We have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children in our care. As part of our local Child Protection Procedures we have a responsibility to follow the guidance laid down by the Blackpool Safeguarding Children Board (BSCB).

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:    

Protecting children from maltreatment; Preventing impairment of children’s health or development; Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; To try and enable children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully.

Child Protection is part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. This refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering or likely to suffer, significant harm.

Effective child protection is essential as part of the wider work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Everyone at Moor Park should aim to proactively safeguard and promote the welfare of children so that the need for action to protect children from harm is reduced.

All procedures within this policy are in keeping with all of the above.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is the responsibility of all adults involved in our community, employees, students, volunteers and representatives of other agencies and governors.

For those children who are suffering, or at risk of suffering, significant harm, joint working is essential to safeguard them and- where necessary- to help bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes against them.

All stakeholders in our school should be encouraged to take responsibilty:   

Be alert to potential indicators of abuse or neglect and understand that abuse id rarely a stand alone event but in most cases multiple issues will overlap each other.

Be alert to the risks which individual abusers or potential abusers may pose to children.

Share and help to analyse information so that an informed assessment can be made of the child’s needs and circumstances.

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  

Contribute to whatever actions are needed to safeguard the child and promote his/ her welfare.

Regularly review the outcomes for the child against specific shared objectives and Work co-operatively with parents unless this is inconsistent with the need to ensure that child’s safety.

Key Staff Designated Teacher lead Safeguarding and Child Protection- Amanda Parton Deputy Team members for Safeguarding and Child Protection- Joanne Magson (Headteacher), Gareth Kirkpatrick (Deputy Head), Abigayle Palmer (SENCO) Procedures If abuse is suspected, we follow the BSCB policy and procedures. The following guidance can also be found on the BSCB website ‘What to do if you’re worried a Child is being Abused’ and ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (updated Sept 2016) http://www.blackpoolsafeguarding.org.uk/children http://panlancashirescb.proceduresonline.com Children have varying needs which change over time. Judgments on how best to intervene when there are concerns about harm to a child will often and unavoidably entail an element of risk. At the extremes, this risk will be either of leaving a child for too long in a dangerous situation, or of removing a child unnecessarily from his or her family.

The way to proceed in the face of uncertainty is through competent professional judgments based on a sound assessment of a child’s needs, the parent’s capacity to respond to those needs- including their capacity to keep the child safe from significant harm- and the wider family circumstances.

Professional staff have a responsibility to communicate their concerns about a child as soon as they have reasonable cause to suspect a child is at risk of abuse, neglect or significant harm or if the child makes a disclosure. Information is available on the Blackpool Safeguarding Children Board website under the section ‘Worried about a child?’ They should raise their concerns with the designated teacher and record their concerns or any disclosures in writing on the school’s ‘Safeguard’ system. A body map diagram can also be a useful tool for bruises or suspected non-accidental injuries and can be attached to the ‘Safeguard’system notes. Notes can also be made to include actions/ discussions that have taken place with parents. (Unless there is a risk that the child would be put in danger by discussing issues with parent/ carer). Always ask one of the safeguarding team if you are ever unsure or would like advice. Designated TeacherAmanda Parton, SENCO- Abigayle Palmer, Deputy Head- Gareth Kirkpatrick, HeadJoanne Magson. If after discussion between Safeguarding Team or indeed a teacher still has concerns, and disagrees with the judgment, it is considered the child and their parents

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would benefit from further services, a referral to Social Care can be made by the teacher with the original concern.

In line with Blackpool guidelines we believe at Moor Park that early help is preferable.

Spotting problems at the earliest stage and getting the right support at the right time can stop a problem from escalating. This can only be achieved when all agencies are actively sharing information and sharing responsibility for the part they can play in improving things for our Children and Families. The most important principle is to offer help to children and families who need it at the earliest possible stage. We call this “early intervention”.

It is vital that we all offer support to children and families at the earliest stage. Addressing these issues early gives us the best possible chance to tackle the problems and help create long term solutions.

New staff, student or supply teachers are briefed about safeguarding and directed to report to Designated Teacher Team if they have any concerns. A copy of this policy is also given to them to be read and signed for.

If abuse reported by a third party to school, then listen carefully and record information on the school ‘Safeguard’ system. Ask the informer to contact Social Care or the police directly and also inform Designated Teacher who can refer to Social Care.

Tel: 01253 477299 Duty and Assessment Team 125 Albert Road Blackpool FY1 4BA Link for GIR/ referral http://www.blackpoolsafeguarding.org.uk/assets/uploads/children/GIR/GIR%20Referral %20Amended%20(2).doc Link for GIR leaflet https://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/blackpool/fsd/files/gir_leaflet_final.pdf ( This link is also available on the school website) Also be aware that information disclosed or shared must be treated as confidential.

Always remember to inform a child that has disclosed information that this cannot be kept confidential between themselves, but needs to be shared with a member of the safeguarding team so they can best help the child. Reassure the child they have done the right thing in telling someone. Data and information can be shared with social care, the police and other relevant services. The school safeguard system encrypts messages and gives a one-time password for this purpose.

Children defined, as ‘in need’ under Children Act 1989 are those whose vulnerability is such that they are unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development will be impaired without the provision of services. Some children are in need because they are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. The concept of

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significant harm is the threshold that justifies compulsory intervention in family life in the best interests of the children.

Thresholds in Blackpool are categorised as Level 1- Universal, Level 2- vulnerable, Level 3- Complex, Level 4- Acute. see appendix for further breakdown of levels. (appendix) Link to Thresholds for Blackpool http://www.blackpoolsafeguarding.org.uk/assets/uploads/children/GIR/Thresholds.pdf The Designated Teacher’s attend relevant courses and cluster meetings relating to child protection, to build skills and knowledge. This information is disseminated to staff during briefings and staff meetings to inform and raise awareness of issues. It is a policy of the school to assess the training needs of the staff and to update at regular intervals. All staff will receive at least level 1 training as recommended. The training is undertaken every three years and will be next scheduled for April 2019. A training record is kept in the office, of training undertaken and by which staff. New staff will need to produce their certificate of Level 1 training or if not current, then training be made available through Blackpool Safeguarding Board.

We adopt safe recruitment and selection procedures for all staff and volunteers. (see also separate policy) All individuals who work directly with children have to obtain a DBS check. A Single Central Record is kept by Pam Morris (Bursar) in the office. Any visitors to the site gain entry through the main entrance to the office. Visitors permitted into school sign in and out of a register book. Visitors wear a visitor’s badge. If for any reason an adult is seen in school not wearing a badge, they should be challenged and accompanied to the main office.

The perimeter of the school site is secured with fences and locked gates. These are checked regularly by the site supervisor. Playground staff should check all relevant gates are locked at playtimes to ensure safety of our children.

The Designated Teacher has custodial responsibility for the upkeep and monitoring of Child Protection records, which are made available to staff on a ‘need to know’ basis.

These are confidential. Recorded concerns are read and discussed by Safeguarding Team to agree suitable action.

At the start of an academic year information is shared with new class teachers to ensure they can care for the child and keep him/ her safe. At the end of the Year 6 academic year information is shared with High School liaison teachers to ensure safe transitions for our pupils. If a child leaves our school, significant information is shared with the new school and necessary records sent on, by signed for post system. This can sometimes be a phonecall to the relevant Safeguarding Teacher at a new school if there are concerns of a sensitive nature. When children join our school, records passed to us from previous school are read, signed for and passed back to the Designated Teacher for safe storage.

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The Designated Teacher meets each term with the Governor responsible for safeguarding and a report for governors’ is prepared each term.

The Designated Teacher’s, class teacher or informed representative will attend Case Conferences and multi-agency meetings, whenever possible. If attendance is not possible, a written report is requested.

It is the intention of the school to try to give help and support to parents during or after a referral. This will often be through the GIR (Getting it Right) Continuous assessment process.

The GIR process is also used to support families under stress or experiencing difficulties at threshold 2 and above. It aims to offer;  Support at the earliest opportunity in a child’s life.  Support at the earliest sign of a problem or additional need.

This is a shared framework for use across all children’s services in Blackpool. It aims to help the early identification of children’s additional needs and promote a co-ordinated service provision to meet them.

Any suspected cases of professional abuse against children will be dealt with by the Headteacher (or by the Governors if the Headteacher is accused) by following local procedures.

We support work in Child Protection through all aspects of the curriculum, particularly in PHSE/ circle time and an ongoing program of internet safety. Bullying, touch, Keeping Safe, stranger danger, relationships and feelings are just some examples. By educating our children, building their awareness and knowledge, we aim to reduce the possibility of them being abused and empower them to report abuse. See other policies for bullying, behavior, esafety etc for more specific information.

THE DEFINITION AND RECOGNITION OF ABUSE Abuse- A form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm or failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or institutional or community setting by those known to them or more rarely by others via the internet. They may be abused by an adult or adults or another child or children.

Child abuse and neglect can and does occur in any setting and in any type of family.

Research has shown, however, that children most at risk live in families under pressure.

Source of stress within families may have a negative impact on a child’s health, development and well being, either directly, or because they affect the capacity of parents to respond to the child’s needs.

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Definitions Physical abuse May involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing deliberate physical harm to a child.

Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of problems, or deliberately causes ill health to a child whom they are looking after. This is commonly known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, now known as Fabricated and Induced Illness (FII). FGM- (Female Genital Mutilation) (see link on school website) is illegal in Britain. If suspected either by disclosure or symptoms such as discomfort, frequency of urination etc this needs to be reported to the Designated Teacher and not discussed with the parents or any family member.

Sometimes a single traumatic event may constitute physical harm to a child. In other cases, the harm is caused by repeated assaults. In themselves, each of these assaults may be relatively minor. Together however, they identify the severity of risk that the child faces.

Physical abuse can lead directly to neurological damage, disability and in extreme cases, death.

Emotional abuse Is the persistent ill treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed. It may involve causing children frequently to feel afraid or in danger, or involve the exploitation or corruption of children.

Emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill treatment of a child, although it may occur alone.

Emotional abuse has an important impact on a developing child’s mental health. It can be especially damaging in infancy. Domestic violence, adult mental health problems and parental substance misuse may be features in families where children are exposed to such abuse.

Emotional abuse can also be as a result of Cyber bullying or hearing or seeing the illtreatment of another.

Domestic Abuse

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From 31 January 2005, the legal definition of harming children extended to include harm they suffer seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another- particularly in the home. E.g Domestic abuse.

Prolonged exposure to domestic abuse can have a serious impact on a child’s development. This occurs in a number of ways. It can pose a threat to an unborn child because assaults on pregnant women frequently involve punches to the abdomen.

Older children may suffer blows during episodes of violence. Children of all ages will also be greatly distressed by witnessing the physical and emotional suffering of a parent.

The negative impact of domestic abuse is exacerbated when the abuse is combined with drink or drug misuse; children witness the abuse; children are drawn into the abuse or are pressurised into concealing the assaults.

Sexual abuse/ sexual exploitation Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person under the age of 18 years, to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts.

They may include non-contact activities such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways. Vulnerable young people may be ‘groomed’ by offering gifts/ affection directly or by the Internet.

Disturbed behaviour including self-harm and depression have been linked to sexual abuse. Its adverse effects may endure into adulthood. The severity of impact is associated with the extent of premeditation, the degree of threat, sadism and bizarre or unusual elements.

Neglect Is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger, or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

The mental illness of a parent/carer Mental illness in a parent or carer does not necessarily have an adverse impact on a child, however it is important to assess its implications for any child in the family.

With parental illness, children may have caring responsibilities placed on them that are inappropriate for their years. If they are depressed, parents may neglect their own and their children’s physical and emotional needs. Some forms of mental illness may blunt a parent’s emotions and feelings, and cause them to behave in bizarre or violent ways.

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Drug and alcohol abuse As with mental illness, drug or alcohol misuse itself does not necessarily have an adverse impact on a child. It is important however, that the implications for the child are properly assessed.

Maternal substance misuse in pregnancy may impair the development of an unborn child.

A parent’s practical caring skills may be diminished and some forms of drug and alcohol use may give rise to mental states or behaviour that put children at risk of injury, psychological distress or neglect. Children may also be at risk if drugs and drug paraphernalia (eg needles) at not kept safely out of harms way.

Social Exclusion Many families who seek help or about whom others raise concerns, are multiply disadvantaged. Many lack a wage earner. Severe poverty and its attendant pressures, often mean that children live in over crowded, poor quality accommodation, have poor diets and are vulnerable to accidents. In some cases the sense of hopelessness experienced by the parent or carer leads to an abdication of parental responsibility, which places the child at increased risk.

Transcience This is a particular problem in Blackpool. Research undertaken by Social Services in Blackpool has shown that up to a third of all children placed on the Child Protection Register, following an initial Child Protection Case Conference, have lived in Blackpool for less than a year.

It is the case that multiply disadvantaged and dysfunctional families migrate to Blackpool in order to escape problems in their home area. Often, the move is unplanned. An examination of the family history will often indicate that the family has moved repeatedly over the child’s lifetime. The instability in the lives of the children of transient families places them at increased risk of abuse and neglect both within the family and by predatory paedophiles.

Specific Safeguarding Issues Extremism and Radicalisation Staff have received specific training around the Prevent Duty on 25 th November 2015.

Staff need to be aware of our usual safeguarding procedures and be mindful of children who could be vulnerable to radicalisation and report any concerns through our usual safeguarding systems and communicated to the Designated Teacher. A referral to social care and the Chanel program may then be appropriate. Staff should be aware of changes in behaviour, which could indicate they may need help or protection. Our PHSE program will aim to build resilience to radicalisation, develop tolerance, as well as promoting British values within our multi-cultural society. Staff also need to be vigilant during use of IT and ensure children are aware of how to keep themselves online. See appendix from Blackpool Safeguarding board.

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Images and Photography Parents are contacted and a register kept of children who are not allowed to be photographed and published in public domain. Staff should only take photos on school equipment such as ipads, ipods and not using their own equipment. School computers use a filtering system to safeguard and monitor images. Please also read e-safety policy as the internet can be a source of grooming, bullying and exposure to inappropriate material.

Children in our school are informed how to keep themselves safe online and we have a dedicated e-safety week to revisit this learning. There is also a Social Media policy and staff should refer to this to advise on conduct when using social media.

Child and youth produced Images- This is defined as exchange of sexual messages or images and creating, sharing and forwarding sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images. If a child discloses or is worried about images being shared, this should be referred to the Safeguarding Team. A decision will be made whether this can be dealt with at a school level or whether police involvement is needed. Do not view any images, but ask to have the device and pass to a member of the safeguarding team.

Physical Restraint We follow the guidelines from ‘Team Teach’. The school has trained teachers in the Team Teach method. Central to this policy is the understanding that any Physical Intervention used by staff must be in accord with the idea of “Reasonable Force” and used only as a last resort once all other strategies have been exhausted.

There is no legal definition of reasonable force. The use of force can only be regarded as reasonable if the circumstances of the particular incident warrant it and the degree of force employed is proportionate to the level of challenging behaviour presented or the consequences it is intended to prevent. It is essential that any discussion of Physical Intervention is set in the wider context of education and behaviour management; it should not be seen as an isolated technique. For the majority of the time there will be no need for physical intervention and other methods can be used to de-escalate situations or prevent inappropriate behaviour.

FGM (Female Genital Mutilation FGM comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non­ medical reasons. It has no health benefits and harms girls and women in many ways. It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue, and hence interferes with the natural function of girls’ and women’s bodies. The practice causes severe pain and has several immediate and long­ term health consequences, including difficulties in childbirth also causing dangers to the child. FGM is illegal in the UK. Please refer to email sent with leaflet explaining FGM signs and symptoms. If a member of staff suspects FGM, please report to Designated Teacher team, which can then be referred onto social care. Do not talk to child’s parents about the matter. (Link to government advice on school website)

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Children missing in education (see also attendance policy on website) Children should be monitored and if at risk identified as quickly as possible to ensure that they can be safeguarded and encouraged to return to education as soon as possible.

Attendance is closely monitored in school and with close liaison with the local authority PWO. If you have any concerns about a child’s attendance, please raise it as a concern with the Designated Team.

Faith Abuse We should seek to safeguard against certain kinds of child abuse linked to faith or belief.

This includes: belief in concepts of witchcraft and spirit possession, demons or the devil acting through children or leading them astray (traditionally seen in some Christian beliefs), the evil eye or djinns (traditionally known in some Islamic faith contexts) and dakini (in the Hindu context); ritual or muti murders where the killing of children is believed to bring supernatural benefits or the use of their body parts is believed to produce potent magical remedies; and use of belief in magic or witchcraft to create fear in children to make them more compliant when they are being trafficked for domestic slavery or sexual exploitation. This is not an exhaustive list and there will be other examples where children have been harmed when adults think that their actions have brought bad fortune.

Private Fostering A private fostering arrangement is one that is made privately for the care of a child under the age of 16 (under 18, if disabled) by someone other than a parent or close relative with the intention that it should last for 28 days or more. Private foster carers may be from the extended family, such as a cousin or great aunt. A private foster carer may be a friend of the family, the parent of a friend of the child, or someone previously unknown to the child’s family who is willing to privately foster a child. However, a person who is a relative under the Children Act 1989 i.e. a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt (whether of the full or half blood or by marriage) or a step-parent will not be a private foster carer. The period for which the child is cared for and accommodated by the private foster carer should be continuous, but if a child receives an occasional short break this is not considered to break that continuity.

Parents and carers have a legal duty to notify the local authority when entering into a private fostering arrangement; local authorities are then required to carry out an assessment, and to monitor the arrangement. Some notifications are received from parties involved in private fostering arrangements, often private foster carers or young people.

These notifications tend to occur once the arrangement is well underway, and often come about as a result of a private foster carer approaching the authority for general support or advice. On occasion authorities are notified of private fostering when the arrangement is in crisis and in danger of breaking down. Reasons for such crises could be because of a

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breakdown in financial arrangements between the private foster carer(s) and the birth parent(s), or conflict between the privately fostered child and their carer. Note that not all notifications go on to be classified as private fostering arrangements; if they do not meet the requirements of the definition of a private fostering arrangement as detailed above they would be counted as a notification but not an arrangement.

Peer to Peer abuse Staff should recognize that children are capable of abusing their peers. Within our classroom and school ethos it is made clear to the children acceptable ways of treating each other and showing tolerance for difference. Behaviour towards others that is not acceptable will be dealt with according to the behaviour policy in school. It should never be tolerated as ‘banter’ or ‘part of growing up’ Support should be given to the victim as considered appropriate by the class teacher/ Senior Leadership team.

Honour Based Violence Honour based violence is a violent crime or incident which may have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family or community. t is often linked to family Members or acquaintances who mistakenly believe someone has brought shame to their family or community by doing something that is not in keeping with the traditional beliefs of their culture. For example, honour based violence might be committed against people who: • become involved with a boyfriend or girlfriend from a different culture or religion • want to get out of an arranged marriage • want to get out of a forced marriage • wear clothes or take part in activities that might not be considered traditional within a particular culture

RESPONSE TO ABUSE If you have concerns about a child’s welfare or abuse is suspected or disclosed. 

Use approaches, which would cause least embarrassment for the child – through story, whole class discussion, normality of reaction.

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Avoid making any judgement or apportioning blame. Keep your own reactions under control and remain positive.

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Avoid leading questioning or probing, on no account make suggestions for alternative explanations for their worries. There should be no presumptions.

Reassure the child that it is now for you to deal with and that they are not in the wrong. Make it clear that you are bound to pass on the information. Do not promise total confidentiality to pupils.

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

Inform the Designated Teacher via the school ‘Safeguard’ system. Add to this updated notes of conversations or any concerns you may have

Contacting the family 

A member of the ‘designated team’ should make contact with the parents, offering support where appropriate. If making a referral, parents should be informed first unless this puts the child in danger.

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Depending on the circumstances, he or she should be prepared for reactions varying from hostility and denial to relief.

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In the instance of staff in school facing an allegation of physical and/or sexual abuse, The Headteacher will follow guidelines as set down in BSPCB procedures.

In the instance of a Headteacher facing an allegation, the chair of governors and as agreed between the recognised teacher organisations.

Record keeping Adults in school are encouraged to be alert and proactive, taking responsibility for potential or actual Child Protection issues and reporting quickly any concerns. When a member of staff first suspects that a child may be being abused a dated action record should be made on the school ’Safeguard’ system where comments on the child’s actions, demeanor and appearance can be written to facilitate the awareness of emerging patterns. These could include details of times, dates, witnesses and should also distinguish between hearsay, gossip and observation. Such records can often be the ‘pieces of the jigsaw’ which when put together over time can provide the evidence needed to make a referral to other agencies. These records are unofficial but regular communication should take place between the class teacher and the designated teachers to monitor the situation closely. If you have concerns, share them; do not assume that others have made concerns known. 

The Safeguarding Team hold regular meetings to update, review and monitor child protection issues and procedures, including vulnerable groups. Vulnerable groups are also monitored at phase meetings and have been identified as part of school’s involvement with AFA.

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Information regarding children on the ‘Child Protection’ Register should be made available to teachers on a need to know basis.

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Any teacher who has concerns regarding a child in her/his care may have access to the Child Protection files, which contains information and articles teachers’ response.

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

The Designated Teacher/ Team will assess the threshold of need with reference to the ‘Blackpool Threshold Guidance’. This may mean early support/ intervention from school, other agencies or a referral to Social Care if it is felt that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, a formal referral must be made.

Dealing with Cases In Blackpool it is the Social Services Department, Duty and Assessment Team, that should be contacted initially if a referral process is taking place or to discuss a case.

Advice about referrals can be made by phone 01253 477299, usually by the designated teacher or member of the Safeguarding Team.

The Duty and Assessment Team should clarify with the referrer i) ii) iii) iv)

the nature of concerns how and why they have arisen what appears to be the needs of the child and family whether there is a need for immediate action to protect the child.

Referrals from professionals must be made by completion of the GIR form. If a referrer has a concern about the welfare of a child who is currently open to a Child Care Social Worker the referrer should direct any concern to that person if possible.

If there is any difficulty in contacting the allocated Social Worker the referral should be made to the Duty Officer who then has responsibility of contacting the Social Worker responsible.

Contacts The Duty and Assessment Team based at Albert Road/ South King Street. Blackpool 01253 477299.

The school’s designated teacher is Mrs Amanda Parton who is supported by the SENCO Mrs Abigayle Palmer, Mr Gareth Kirkpatrick and Mrs Joanne Magson.

Governor for Safeguarding- Chair of Governors Mrs K Rowson Pupil Welfare Office (PWO) & School Support- 476478 Amanda Quirke LADO- (South King Street) Principal Social Worker- Linda Evans 01253 476827

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This policy will be reviewed annually in the Autumn Term and staff will sign for receipt of the document.

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Appendix

Thresholds Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Universal All children within Blackpool and who are routinely in receipt of community services.

Assumes backdrop of universal Education and Health service

Vulnerable Disadvantaged children who would benefit from extra help - to make the best life chances. Services operating at a preventative level.

Complex Children whose vulnerability is such that they are unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development.

Acute Children at risk of significant harm / or has suffered abuse and for whom there is continued risk.

Children Services Children in Need Model Level 4 Children at risk of significant harm / or has suffered abuse and for whom there is continued risk.

Child in household where parents / carers have mental health, substance dependency or domestic abuse issues which put child at risk of significant harm. | Persons identified as posing a risk to child identified as living in the house. | The child’s life is endangered. | There is evidence of serious or significant injury or illness. | The possibility of non-accidental injury. | Evidence of gross neglect. | Children who are persistently missing from home and who put themselves at significant risk. | Actually homeless and no housing agency able or willing to assist. | Unsanitary or dangerous home conditions. | Sexual exploitation and/or abuse. | Serious injury/harm/abuse to self or other. | Seriously challenging behaviour. | A child abandoned. | Life threatening drug abuse. | Trafficked child. | Risk of long-term psychological damage / deprivation. | Significant impairment of physical / emotional development. | Damaging history of separations. | Children at risk of forced marriage. | Children who abuse other children. ______________________________________________________________________________________

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Level 3 Children whose vulnerability is such that they are unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development.

Children with disabilities. | Children with high level needs whose parents, for whatever reason, are unable to meet those needs. | Children from families where there has been one serious or several significant instances of domestic violence. | Children where a CAF Action Plan has had no significant impact. | Children who have been subject to a CP Plan, or who have been previously looked after where there are new / further concerns. | Children with high level / unassessed needs whose parents have a history of nonengagement with services, or fail to recognise concerns of professionals. | Pregnant women where the safety of the unborn child might be compromised. | Children in families experiencing a crisis that is likely to result on a breakdown of care arrangements. | Persistent and serious offending. | Unaccompanied asylum seekers.

Children who are persistently going missing from home. | Children with a significant and / or behavioural disorder. | Young carers. | Children with chronic absence from school. | Children in families without permanent accommodation. | Children with chronic ill health / terminal illness. | Children involved in substance misuse. | Child in households where parenting is compromised as a consequence of parental discord, mental health, substance misuse or domestic abuse, although child’s needs are not at a high level. | Children and young people involved in acrimonious contact / residence disputes. | Children who are experiencing adverse effects from bullying. ______________________________________________________________________________________

Level 2 Disadvantaged children who would benefit from extra help - to make the best life chances. Services operating at a preventative level.

Parents unable to secure some aspects of health or development; poor health; poor school attendance. | Inappropriate age related behaviour, which is difficult to handle. | Inhibited / restricted development opportunities in own home and community. | Demands of caring for another person undermining aspects of health and development. | Poor standard of physical care or health causing concern; unhealthy diet; unsatisfactory accommodation. | Insufficient stimulation to achieve full potential; no opportunities to play with other children; experiencing difficulties in relationship with peers. | Scape-goating or victimisation causing emotional harm including continual / regular periods of stress, conflict, tension causing instability and insecurity in relationships; absence of appropriate stimulation. | Relationships strained; normal health and development constrained by environmental circumstances and/or limited play opportunities. ______________________________________________________________________________________

Level 1 All children within Blackpool and who are routinely in receipt of community services.

Assumes backdrop of universal Education and Health service SAFEGUARDING PUPILS / STUDENTS WHO ARE VULNERABLE TO EXTREMISM

Since 2010, when the Government published the Prevent Strategy, there has been an awareness of the specific need to safeguard children, young people and families from violent extremism. There have been several occasions both locally and nationally in which extremist groups have attempted to radicalise vulnerable children and young people to hold extreme views, including views justifying political, religious, sexist or racist violence, or to steer them into a rigid and narrow ideology that is intolerant of diversity and leaves them vulnerable to future radicalisation.

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Moor Park Primary School values freedom of speech and the expression of beliefs / ideology as fundamental rights underpinning our society’s values. Both pupils/students and teachers have the right to speak freely and voice their opinions. However, freedom comes with responsibility and free speech that is designed to manipulate the vulnerable or that leads to violence and harm of others goes against the moral principles in which freedom of speech is valued. Free speech is not an unqualified privilege; it is subject to laws and policies governing equality, human rights, community safety and community cohesion.

The current threat from terrorism in the United Kingdom may include the exploitation of vulnerable people, to involve them in terrorism or in activity in support of terrorism.

The normalisation of extreme views may also make children and young people vulnerable to future manipulation and exploitation. Moor Park Primary School is clear that this exploitation and radicalisation should be viewed as a safeguarding concern.

Moor Park Primary School seeks to protect children and young people against the messages of all violent extremism including, but not restricted to, those linked to Islamist ideology, or to Far Right / Neo Nazi / White Supremacist ideology, Irish Nationalist and Loyalist paramilitary groups, and extremist Animal Rights movements.

Risk reduction The school governors, the Head Teacher / Principal [Delete as appropriate] and the Designated Safeguarding Lead will assess the level of risk within the school and put actions in place to reduce that risk. Risk assessment may include consideration of the school’s RE curriculum, SEND policy, assembly policy, the use of school premises by external agencies, integration of pupils by gender and SEN, anti-bullying policy and other issues specific to the school’s profile, community and philosophy.

This risk assessment will be reviewed as part of the annual s175 return that is monitored by the local authority and the local safeguarding children board.

Response Our school, like all others, is required to identify a Prevent Single Point of Contact (SPOC) who will be the lead within the organisation for safeguarding in relation to protecting individuals from radicalisation and involvement in terrorism: this will normally be the Designated Safeguarding Lead. The SPOC for Moor Park Primary School is Amanda Parton.

When any member of staff has concerns that a pupil may be at risk of radicalisation or involvement in terrorism, they should speak with the SPOC and to the Designated Safeguarding Lead if this is not the same person.

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Numerous factors can contribute to and influence the range of behaviours that are defined as violent extremism, but most young people do not become involved in extremist action. For this reason the appropriate interventions in any particular case may not have any specific connection to the threat of radicalisation, for example they may address mental health, relationship or drug/alcohol issues.

INDICATORS OF VULNERABILITY TO RADICALISATION

Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and forms of extremism leading to terrorism.

Extremism is defined by the Government in the Prevent Strategy as: “Vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.

We also include in our definition of extremism calls for the death of members of our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas.”

Extremism is defined by the Crown Prosecution Service as: “The demonstration of unacceptable behaviour by using any means or medium to express views which:    

Encourage, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs; Seek to provoke others to terrorist acts; Encourage other serious criminal activity or seek to provoke others to serious criminal acts; or Foster hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the UK.”

There is no such thing as a “typical extremist”: those who become involved in extremist actions come from a range of backgrounds and experiences, and most individuals, even those who hold radical views, do not become involved in violent extremist activity.

Pupils may become susceptible to radicalisation through a range of social, personal and environmental factors - it is known that violent extremists exploit vulnerabilities in individuals to drive a wedge between them and their families and communities. It is vital that school staff are able to recognise those vulnerabilities.

Indicators of vulnerability include:  

Identity Crisis – the student / pupil is distanced from their cultural / religious heritage and experiences discomfort about their place in society; Personal Crisis – the student / pupil may be experiencing family tensions; a sense of isolation; and low self-esteem; they may have dissociated from their 19

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existing friendship group and become involved with a new and different group of friends; they may be searching for answers to questions about identity, faith and belonging; Personal Circumstances – migration; local community tensions; and events affecting the student / pupil’s country or region of origin may contribute to a sense of grievance that is triggered by personal experience of racism or discrimination or aspects of Government policy; Unmet Aspirations – the student / pupil may have perceptions of injustice; a feeling of failure; rejection of civic life; Experiences of Criminality – which may include involvement with criminal groups, imprisonment, and poor resettlement / reintegration; Special Educational Need – students / pupils may experience difficulties with social interaction, empathy with others, understanding the consequences of their actions and awareness of the motivations of others.

However, this list is not exhaustive, nor does it mean that all young people experiencing the above are at risk of radicalisation for the purposes of violent extremism.

More critical risk factors could include:        

Being in contact with extremist recruiters; Accessing violent extremist websites, especially those with a social networking element; Possessing or accessing violent extremist literature; Using extremist narratives and a global ideology to explain personal disadvantage; Justifying the use of violence to solve societal issues; Joining or seeking to join extremist organisations; and Significant changes to appearance and / or behaviour; Experiencing a high level of social isolation resulting in issues of identity crisis and / or personal crisis.

PREVENTING VIOLENT EXTREMISM ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT (SPOC) The SPOC for Moor Park Primary School is Amanda Parton, who is responsible for: 

Ensuring that staff of the school are aware that they are the SPOC in relation to protecting students/pupils from radicalisation and involvement in terrorism;

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Maintaining and applying a good understanding of the relevant guidance in relation to preventing students/pupils from becoming involved in terrorism, and protecting them from radicalisation by those who support terrorism or forms of extremism which lead to terrorism;

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Raising awareness about the role and responsibilities of Moor Park Primary School in relation to protecting students/pupils from radicalisation and involvement in terrorism;

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Monitoring the effect in practice of the school’s RE curriculum and assembly policy to ensure that they are used to promote community cohesion and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs;

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Raising awareness within the school about the safeguarding processes relating to protecting students/pupils from radicalisation and involvement in terrorism;

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Acting as the first point of contact within the school for case discussions relating to students / pupils who may be at risk of radicalisation or involved in terrorism;

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Collating relevant information in relation to referrals of vulnerable students / pupils into the Channel* process;

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attending Channel* meetings as necessary and carrying out any actions as agreed;

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Reporting progress on actions to the Channel* Co-ordinator; and

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Sharing any relevant additional information in a timely manner.

*Channel is a multi-agency approach to provide support to individuals who are at risk of being drawn into terrorist related activity. It aims to establish an effective multi-agency referral and intervention process to identify vulnerable individuals; Safeguard individuals who might be vulnerable to being radicalised, so that they are not at risk of being drawn into terrorist-related activity; and provide early intervention to protect and divert people away from the risks they face and reduce vulnerability.

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